DFS Lab

Our Mission

We ​work with a diverse group of founders building global fintech companies that address the needs of billions of mass market consumers

We find and invest in fintech founders ​before others do

Investing early in these founders means we’re able to build global startups with hyper-growth potential. We diligently seek these founders out and work with them before others do. We take a different approach than most investors which is why we aren’t missing top talent in emerging markets.

We are focused on building startups that will thrive in the digital economy of the future, including the arrival of global platform players. Being at the forefront of fintech innovation means that we aren’t just making a powerful social impact in terms of financial inclusion, but there is also an impressive financial opportunityas our startups scale in the future digital economy. And scale, they do. ​

Pula Case Study: Securing Seed Round Funding

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We’re a bridge connecting local talent with global expertise and funding

We work in the markets our startups are serving which gives us critical local context, but our network is spread across the world, from Nairobi to London to Seattle. We offer unparalleled experience investing in and working shoulder to shoulder with emerging market fintechs. We’ve built our community of +250, disbursed over 26 countries with our hands on approach.

This map is a placeholder to help visualize. This is 500 startups map. Ours is in the works.

Participant Perspectives

"I've worked with a lot of startup accelerators but I have not seen one as effective as DFS Lab. It's not about the number of people but the diversity and the difference of thought that this team brings together."​​- Bertram DsouzaMentorKotak Bank

"If you look at the 18 months up to the Sprint, we got one pilot and then in the one week of the Sprint we got two pilots. It's been an incredibly productive week for Teller."

- Somil GhelaniEntrepreneur​Teller

"DFS Lab has been instrumental to our growth. Their hands on mentoring and feedback has not only shaped our product, strategy, and talent foundation, but has also moved us closer to our vision of bringing hope, equality, and inclusion to the low income borrowers in Africa."